ASHBURTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
6314 LONE OAK DRIVE
BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20817
301 571-6959
PRINCIPAL'S NEWS
June 8, 2007
Dear Parents,
As we prepare to conclude the 2006-07 school year, we reflect on the many changes we
have seen this year and begin to look at changes for the new school year. We started out
the school year with Dr. Haughey as principal and after her retirement in January, Dr.
Baranick took over as the Interim Principal. A committee of Ashburton staff, parents and
MCPS staff interviewed four candidates and selected Ms. Charlene Eroh as our new
principal. The Board of Education appointed her in April. Dr. Baranick left for a successful
medical procedure in May, necessitating another change, as Ms. Cino became our Acting
Principal and Ms. Means-Harris, the Acting Assistant Principal. Ms. Eroh officially takes
over July 1 but has been at Ashburton as much as possible the past few weeks to get to
know students and plan with the staff for next year.
Staffing for MCPS schools is based on an overall enrollment in grades 1-5; Ashburton is
seeing a very small dip in the total number of students in these grades. Our projected
2007-08 teacher allocation reduced staffing by two teachers and at this time the grade
levels will be as follows: 3 kindergarten classes, 3 first and second grade classes, 4 third
grade classes, 3 fourth grade classes, and 4 fifth grade classes. We will continue to have
K/1, 2/3, and 4/5 LAD classes and 8 sections of PEP. Each principal at the school this year
has been in constant contact with our Community Superintendent regarding staffing and
class size. It is critical that new students are enrolled as soon as they move so please pass
the word to your neighbors.
Due to staff reductions and changes, Ms. Megan Peters, first grade teacher, will be
reassigned to Farmland Elementary School. Ms. Colette Davis, ESOL, will become full-time
at Bells Mill Elementary School. Our part-time art, music and PE teachers (Ms. Wyant, Mr.
Persic, and Mr. Graves) will be at other schools in the fall. Ms. Kristin Hisker, kindergarten
Calendar
Dates Freelandteacher, will move back to Pennsylvania to be closer toImportant
her family.
Ms. Jennifer
June 12- 9 :15 a.m. 5th grade promotion
Wieder has taken a new position within the county as a parent educator. She will do a
ceremony/pool party
wonderful job for her new families. Ms. Sally Fasman, June
who 13has9:30
taught
for nearly
15
a.m. PEP
Academic
Awards
years, will also become a PEP parent educator in another
school
in
the
county.
We
will
miss
Ceremony
June 13-gain.
last day PEP program
our teachers very much. Our loss is surely their new school’s
June 14- last day K-5, school dismisses at
12:35
Ms. Samantha Dundon, will teach kindergarten next fall, moving from fourth grade. We have
June 22 report cards mailed
hired Ms. Marjorie Blanc, as a part-time ESOL teacher. Ms. Blanc comes to us with years of
experience throughout the county. Ms. Kelly Kraft, our reading initiative teacher, will work
part-time next fall and we will hire an additional part-time reading initiative teacher. We
have hired Kristen Riordan as a new PEP teacher, as she has both classroom and special
education experience. We have hired Emily Hines (music), Lynn Lewis (art), and Angela
Lizonitz (PE) as our part-time teachers. We look forward to them joining our Ashburton
community of learners.
This is our last newsletter for this school year. During the summer we will do many things to
get ready for the 2007-08 school year including preparing for the construction of the
addition, finalizing classes, preparing materials and working with new staff.
We want to thank our outgoing PTA Executive Board for doing a marvelous job of working
together for the good of all of our students this year. We feel so privileged to work with
dedicated, competent, giving parents who support everything we ask for! We are so very
fortunate to have this wonderful Executive Board and so many other people who volunteer
to chair committees and help with all of the activities. Many sincere thanks to all.
Please look for the summer reading and math packets that were sent home today. We have
carefully prepared these so that our students will maintain the skills learned this year and
previews skills they will learn next year. May you each have a safe, relaxing summer. We
look forward to working with all who are returning and wish all who are moving on the best .
Sincerely,
Ms. Charlene Eroh
Notes:
Ms. Barbara Cino
Report cards will be mailed home after June 22, 2007. Please make sure that the office has
your correct home address (we must have proof of change of address with a copy of the
lease or deed); the central office computer addresses the report cards to ONLY the child’s
home address. Report card comments go home with students on the last day of school
(grades 3-5). School supply lists for next year will also go home at that time.
A letter will be mailed in August with a multitude of information for the next school year,
including an Ashburton calendar, bus information, and the first day of school’s lunch menu.
Some of this information will be updated on the school’s website over the summer as
information becomes available.
Consider the perfect thank you “gift” for a teacher- writing a note of appreciation to the
principal for the staff member’s file.
PEP News
It’s hard to believe that the end of the
school year is upon us already! Didn’t
we just begin with those innocent, quiet
and sometimes fearful little 3 and 4
year old students? Who are those
confident, interactive, and
communicative 4 and 5 year olds in our
classes? Our teams are so proud of
them and you should be too!
Our PEPers have learned about topics of
importance to them and their families—
improving their abilities to understand
and express language, use it socially
and playfully interact with their peers,
and articulate more clearly for improved
listener understanding. They have
broadened their horizons and learned
about the farm, beach, restaurant,
store, transportation, insects, and more.
A hands-down favorite had to be Dr.
Kramer’s visit with all the “bugs”!
In math we will finish up our unit on money.
The students need to be able to:


Identify penny, nickel, dime, quarter
and their values.
Determine the value of any set of
coins. (using nickels, dimes, and
pennies)
“Physics Phun”
We are wrapping up our unit: Balls and
Ramps.
June Homework
To get ready for 1st grade, please begin a
daily summer reading routine with your child.
We will also be sending home a summer
math packet for extra practice!
We have had a wonderful time together.
Thank you for sharing your children
with us. It is always an honor to work
with them and with you. Best wishes for
a happy and safe summer!
Bonnie S. Kramer, M. Ed. CCC
Speech/Language Pathologist
For the PEP teachers
June Happenings in
Kindergarten
Language Arts
This month we will do our last author study
on Charlotte Zolotow. We will also read
about the seasonal change to summer. We
will continue to learn about mothers, fathers
and their babies.
Money Matters
- Ms. Hisker, Ms. Dunn, Ms. Moyer and Mrs.
Killian
First Grade News
June 2007
Dear First Grade Families,
Wow! Spring has flown by!! As
June begins, we thought that we would
let you know about some of the exciting
things that will be going on in school!
Reading: We are continuing our
intensive review of all of the words that
we’ve studied this year. We will
conclude the year with our author study
of Arnold Lobel.
Math: We are continuing our
exploration of fractions and money. We
will also continue our work on
application and problem solving with
estimation and rounding with money.
The last day of school is
Thursday, June 14th. We will be having
our End of the Year Picnic on the field
from 11:00-12:00 p.m. We hope you
can come! Please let your child’s
classroom teacher know if you are
planning on attending.
Science
We will wrap up the end of the year
completing more hands-on experiments
involving liquids. We have worked on
creating and observing many different
liquids through out the unit.
Math
Unit 5 Division, Multiplication and Money
We are wrapping up our last unit in
math. Please make sure your child
continues to practice their basic addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division
facts over summer break!
If you have any questions, please
contact us (301-571-6959). We have
enjoyed you collaboration and support
this year!
It has been a pleasure teaching your
children this year. Have a terrific summer!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Gandel, Ms. Lashof, Mrs.
Madigan, Ms. Peters and Mrs. Killian
-Ms. Bouquet, Ms. Canard, Ms. Fox, & Ms.
Von Lunz
Town News from Second
Grade
June 2007
Reading
We will continue to focus on poetry
and the craft techniques of alliteration,
imagery, onomatopoeia, personification,
and simile. We will also focus on writing
summaries of informational text.
Writer’s Workshop
We will complete our poetry unit. We
have been busy writing free verse,
alliteration, repetition and personification
poems. We will also write sensory image
and onomatopoeia poems.
Third Grade June Newsletter
It’s hard to believe it, but it is
June already! The school year has flown
by! We have had a great year of
learning this year and we are so proud
of all of our third graders!
Third graders worked very hard
on their Wax Museum projects and their
author’s conference books. The results
were amazing and every student should
be proud of their accomplishments.
Math:
In math, students have
completed Unit 6 and will be taking their
unit test the first week in June. The
students have worked really hard in
math this year and the teachers are
pleased with their progress. Students will
spend the remainder of the year
reviewing past concepts. Be on the
look-out for the math summer packet
which will include review materials and
preview materials for 4th grade.
Science:
We are wrapping up our study of
sound in Science. Students will be
sharing their homemade musical
instrument with their homeroom class on
June 6. Students will demonstrate how
the pitch of the instrument can change.
of maintaining these skills in order to be
ready for 4th grade.
Thank you all once again for all
the help and support you’ve given us
during this year. We hope you and your
family have a safe and restful summer!
Sincerely,
Katie Butler, Becki Segal, Brooke von
Lunz, Sean White, Susan Zeccardi
Reading:
In Reading, students are
engaged in an author study. The two
authors that we will study are Verna
Aardema and Nicola Davies. You may
want to check out some of the books by
these authors in the public library. The
students worked very hard on their
Poetry Anthologies and the results were
creative and inspiring.
Remember that report cards will
be mailed directly to parents, so be sure
to keep an eye out for them later in
June or early July. Students will bring
home report card comments and their
4th grade supply list on the last day of
school. Students will also be bringing
home their summer Math and Reading
packets. Please make sure your child
completes these packets over the
summer to ensure an easy transition into
4th grade. We suggest reviewing the
Math packet about a week before
school starts in order to refresh your
child’s memory about what has been
learned. We also strongly encourage
students to practice multiplication and
division facts over the summer.
Please make sure your child is
reading over the summer every day!
We can’t stress enough the importance
News 4 You
Wow! Is it June already? Where did the time
go? During the remaining weeks of school, here
is what we will be covering:
Language Arts
As our school year comes to a close, we
are taking time to assess our reading
interpretation, grammar skills, and written
expression. Writing and evaluating persuasive
paragraphs are still ongoing. Our books for the
Authors’ Conference were inspirational; the
fourth grade students were very proud of their
efforts. Students shared their books with their
peers as well as students in the first grade.
Remember to encourage your children to read,
read, read and write, write, write this summer.
Let’s keep our current writing journals going!
Mathematics
During the last couple of weeks of school, we
will be reviewing mathematical concepts covered
this year. It is encouraged to keep up with basic
math facts and to complete the summer math
packet in the next few months!
It’s been a privilege having your child with us
this year. We wish them all the best! Have a
wonderful summer! We know they will make us
proud as they enter fifth grade!
Thank you,
Mrs. Brenner, Ms. Dundon, Miss Perla
Mrs. Weaver, and Mrs. Davis
Fifth Grade’s Fabulous News
The fifth graders have continued to work
very hard during the fourth quarter and
they have continued to keep very busy!
We had a wonderful trip to Philadelphia,
we just had a visit from former
Ashburton students (6th graders), and
took a tour of North Bethesda! There
are also a lot of activities just around the
corner:
June 12th: Promotion Ceremony @ 9:15
a.m.; pool party to follow
June 13th: Awards Assembly and Pool
Party rain date
At the promotion ceremony, all students
will be receiving a certificate of
completion, and many awards will be given
out as well. One of these awards is the
President’s Award for Educational
Excellence. This award is based on
criteria set by the President’s Education
Awards Program. Students that will be
receiving this award have earned a GPA
(Grade Point Average) of a 3.5 or above
between 4th and 5th grades. On top of
that, they have scored equal to or above a
432 on the math section of the 4 th grade
MSA, and scored equal to or above a 437
on the reading section of the 4th grade
MSA.
There is also a lot going on inside the
classrooms…
of events to occur, as well as diving into
algebra with writing expressions,
equations, and studying the order of
operations in mathematical sentences.
The unit assessment will be given on
Friday, June 1st. After unit 6 is complete,
the students will be working on creating
colorful tessellations that they learned
about during unit 5. Math A students are
also completing their final unit, Unit 5:
Probability. They too have been exploring
the likelihood of events, as well as the
connection between area and probability.
Please be on the look-out for summer
packets, as they will be coming home with
your child shortly. The math packets will
be due to your child’s math teacher, at
North Bethesda, in the fall. Over the
summer, all math students should also
continue working on basic facts so that
they are strong for 6th grade!
Language Arts
In Ms. Powers’ class, students have been
reading memoirs and they will be
presenting a project on June 5th. The
students will become their authors and
present a speech highlighting the
experiences, achievements, and influential
people that the author encountered. Her
fifth graders are also working on a
project in which they are writing about
their memories from Ashburton
Elementary School. The students will also
finish up the William and Mary unit and
discuss concepts of change, and how
change can affect people and
environment. Ms. Powers will also reflect
on the year with the students, and they
will receive their portfolios filled with all
of their writing projects for the year!
Math
Fifth grade math students are working on
their final Unit, Unit 6: Probability and
Mathematical Operations. They have
been exploring the likelihood of a variety
Ms. Killory’s Language Arts classes will be
putting the finishing touches on their
Ashburton Memories, recalling those
poignant moments of their time here at
Ashburton in writing, while applying the
writing traits covered this year. They will
be sharing with pride the long awaited
historical fiction picture books,
affectionately known as their HFPBs.
Finally, they will test their powers of
persuasion as they “publish” their
persuasive writing letters. They continue
to show great fondness for this form of
writing. In reading, the class will conclude
the unit on memoirs and finish their
explorations of the Junior Great Books
stories. The students have found the
JGB stories sometimes provocative,
sometimes puzzling, and dependably
fascinating to interpret and discuss.
Hopefully, the readings and discussions
will support their interests in exploring all
forms of literature.
Science
In science, students are continuing the
study of magnets and the relationship of
magnets, electricity and motors. We will
also test the efficiency of each group’s
toothpick bridges on Monday, June 11th.
At this time, we will record the dead load
of each bridge and test the live load for
each as well. Ms. Hardy is adding photos
of the toothpick bridges to the AES
website so be sure to check them out!
Bill of Rights, as well as the women’s right
to vote.
We hope that the fifth graders have a
wonderful summer and we wish them all
the best of luck in middle school!
Thanks,
Lisa Neumann
Kymberli Richey
Francene Davis
Kristi Powers
Sarah Killory
Counselor’s Corner
Can you believe it is already June!! Summer
break is soon approaching and many parents will
be looking to this time with mixed feelings.
While some may be relieved to end the
continuous, daily homework struggles, there are
also many children who strive on structure and
during the summer, structure can be lacking. For
some children (and guidance counselors), the
lazy days of summer, are a source of fun and
relaxation, but for others, the long stretches of
“nothing to do” days can create bountiful
opportunities for mischief and can erase some of
the hard worked routines that we have all worked
together to put in place for the year.
While no one advocates more for rest and
relaxation that yours truly, keeping a balance of
fun with structure can help to make summer
more enjoyable for all and make coming back to
school in the fall less of a struggle. Some tips to
keep in mind while preparing for summer:
Social Studies
The students are completing our unit of
“Creating a New Nation”. They have all
analyzed sources surrounding the events
of Shay’s Rebellion. The Articles of
Confederation were out and the
Constitution was in! The students will be
studying the Constitutional Convention,
the ratification of the Constitution, the
1. Use a large calendar in an area where
everyone can see it.
Keep track of the
activities that are going on, whether it is a family
vacation, camp, or “do nothing” days. The
calendar helps children to know what is coming
up and be prepared for it.
2. If you child will be going to summer camp,
try to visit the place beforehand so your child can
become familiar with the area. Make sure to go
over the rules and expectations of camp.
3. Have your child keep a notebook or
journal through the summer. This will keep
those skills up that we have been working on all
year!
4. For older children, have them help in
preparing summer plans. Have them map out
routes to take on trips, or go to the library and
research vacation spots.
5. Make a list of activities you can do as a
family/things they can do alone.
This way, when things are not planned, you and
your child can refer to an already made list of
things to do.
6. Keep as much routine as possible
Try to keep routines such as bedtimes, chores,
and set a time for reading each day. I know
those first couple weeks of school are a killer to
get up (even for guidance counselors). Keeping
a routine helps to ease that transition.
7. RELAX!!!!! Summer is a great time to relax,
regroup, and spend some time together. You all
have earned it!
I hope everyone has a great summer. I will be
around school a couple days a week during the
summer, so please feel free to email or call if you
need anything at all.
Sincerely,
Andrea Seltzer
Reading Corner
-Ms. Weigle
It’s almost summer vacation! Your
children have been reading and writing for
different purposes throughout the school year.
Now I want everyone to think about the reading
and writing purposes for the summer.
The main reading purpose for the
summer is reading for enjoyment. What books
have you wanted to read, but there wasn’t time?
This is the time to read them. Read on a lazy
afternoon. Read while you are on a plane. Read
while you are waiting at the doctor’s office. You
can read almost anywhere. Remember, books
are portable. They fit in carry-on luggage, a
backpack, or in your hand. Don’t leave home
without them.
What other reading purposes are there
for the summer? You can read directions to play
a new game or to make a new recipe. You can
read information about animals when you go to
the zoo. You can read the newspaper. The
Washington Post’s Kid’s Page always looks
interesting. Each week’s Mini Page, in the
Sunday paper, has a major focus, a recipe, jokes,
puzzles, and interviews with famous people.
When are other times that you and your children
read?
Ashburton will continue to encourage
reading during the summer. Our theme this year
is “Be an Ashburton reader and writer this
summer everywhere, everyway, and everyday!”
Look for the reading log in the summer packet.
Students are asked to write the titles of books
they read during the summer on the reading log.
This can include the books they are reading for
the libraries’ summer program. When students
bring the summer packet back to school in the
fall, they will receive a reward.
This year, Montgomery County Public
Libraries’ summer reading program is called
“Reading Road Trip.” Students can sign up at a
library, beginning on June 14. (Our closest
library is Davis Library.) They will receive a
“game board” to keep track of the books they
read. Libraries will also have special
performances this summer. Go to
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/li
braries/index.asp and click on “kidsite” for
details and to register. The library has fun events
planned!
Now, let’s think about writing. What writing
purposes could there be for summer? One of my
favorites is writing postcards to friends while
I’m on vacation. You can also write lists – a list
of things to take on vacation or a grocery list.
You can write in a journal about the fun, warm
weather activities you are doing. Then you could
reread the journal next winter on a snow day.
There are more writing activities attached to the
reading log in the summer packet.
These are just a few ideas for reading
and writing this summer. I’m sure you will think
of many more. Have a fun summer and
remember, the more children read, the better
readers they will become.
2007-2008 MCPS Calendar
Aug. 20-24 Professional days for teachers
Aug. 27
First day of school for students
Sept. 3
Holiday*-Labor Day
Sept. 13
Rosh Hashanah- No school for students and teachers
Sept. 28
Early release 12:35 p.m.
Oct. 19
No school for students and teachers
Oct. 31
End of first marking period
Nov. 1
No school students- Professional day
Nov. 9
Early release- parent conferences
Nov. 12
Early release- parent conferences
Nov. 22-23 Holiday*-Thanksgiving
Dec. 24-25
Holiday*-Christmas
Dec. 26-28, 31 Winter break- no school for students and staff
Jan. 1 2008 Holiday*- New Year’s Day
Jan. 18
End of second marking period
Jan. 21
Holiday*-Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
Jan. 22
No school students- Professional day
Feb. 12
Holiday*- Presidential Primary Election
Feb. 18
Holiday*- President’s Day
Feb. 27
Early release 12:35 p.m.
Mar. 21&24 Holidays*-Easter
Mar. 25-28
Spring break
Apr. 4
End of third marking period
Apr. 7
No school students- Professional day
May 26
Holiday*- Memorial Day
June 12
Last day of school for students 12:35 p.m.
* All administrative offices and schools are closed.